Pack It in for the Planet
If you’re going to bike in fashion, why not create your own ways to eat in style? You can tote your food and eat it too, all while being self-sustainable and lessening your impact on the environment.
Conscious Totes
Handmade in Barangay, Philippines, sweatshop-free and fair-trade BaZura bags are made by a women’s co-op using recycled foil juice containers collected daily from local schools. Bags like this colourful ice cooler, which doubles as an insulated lunch tote, help divert more than 75,000 juice containers from landfills every day while helping women to support their families in an ecologically responsible way. $34.95; bazurashop.com
Cutlery To Go
Don’t have time to make a lunch and often find yourself eating on the go? Bring along a travel kit like this one-of-a-kind eco-friendly flatware set by McMinnville, Oregon artist Brielle Deppe. Made from cotton and bamboo fabrics, the kits contain a 100 per cent bamboo fork, knife, spoon, chopstick set, and washable cloth napkin. If bamboo is not your style, Deppe also offers kits featuring elegant vintage silverware and modern flatware. A kit for toddlers is also available. $16.00-$22.00;
Cozy Coffee
If you’re a slave to the paper cup or occasionally find yourself without your travel mug, tuck this handy little coffee cup sleeve in your bag and set your own trend by giving paper coffee cup sleeves a pass. Greensleeves coffee cup sleeves, made by Vivian Klose, a San Jose, California artist, are made to fit most paper coffee cups, and are 100 per cent cotton and machine washable. $3.99;
Vintage-Style Eats
Atlanta-based artist Becky Striepe uses vintage fabrics and buttons to create her chic one-of-a-kind lunch kits. Each kit includes a 100 per cent recyclable stainless steel lunch box, five machine-washable cloth napkins, and recycled flatware, all contained in a handmade tote with plenty of room to spare for extra munchies. $45;
Market-Style Carryall
Whether you’re heading off to your local farmers’ market or to a late summer picnic, take along Reisenthel’s classy basket and turn some heads. Made from high-grade polyester, the basket features a strong, lightweight aluminum frame, hard bottom, and collapsible handles, and can handle a 25-kilogramkg load. It also includes a handy zipped pocket to stash your money in. A rainproof cover is available to help keep your goodies dry. Visit reisenthel.com/us for store locations.
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